Jermaine Gardner, English, Myers Park High School
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Synopsis: The narrative of racial difference in the United States has long been a haze that contaminates many communities and deprecates people of color. It began when white settlers came to this continent and destroyed masses of native people, stole their land, and labeled them as barbaric or savage. That same narrative promoted the existence of 200 years of enslavement of African people who were beaten, abused, sexually exploited, and denied human rights. The Thirteenth Amendment did not bring an end to these injustices and only promoted the evolution of these practices. This unit is designed for ninth grade students to encounter an inquiry process in which they explore novels, essays, and other forms of media to ultimately determine the theme of I Am Alfonso Jones and express through writing, discussion, and other collaborative activities why that message is important. Students will take on these tasks to answer the questions: What makes an opening powerful? What makes you want to keep reading a book? How can understanding a book’s context help you understand the book? Why are the answers to these questions important? Students will return to these questions throughout the unit to understand the impact of societal flaws and express their understanding through writing and creation of visual projects that convey a specific meaning that can better their human experience and to promote change in humankind.
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